Everton line-ups as James Garner and Beto decisions made for Leicester City

Everton line-ups as James Garner and Beto decisions made for Leicester City

Everton line-ups and predicted teams for the crucial Premier League clash against Leicester City

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After back-to-back wins for the first time this season, following up their 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur with a 1-0 success at Brighton & Hove Albion, Everton return to Goodison Park today to host Leicester City.

The Foxes had been on a seven-match losing streak in the Premier League before defeating Spurs themselves last time out after they came from behind to triumph 2-1 in north London.

David Moyes' men know that if they beat Ruud van Nistelrooy's 17th placed side, they can open up a 10-point cushion between themselves and the East Midlanders but if they were to lose then the gap would be narrowed to just three points.

Everton go into the fixture without striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who suffered a hamstring injury last time out at the Amex Stadium plus Orel Mangala, who also went off in Sussex, and has now been ruled out for the rest of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Chris Beesley

With three of his four strikers out injured and PSR restrictions still hampering Everton’s transfer ambitions in this window ahead of Monday’s deadline, David Moyes was asked about the prospect of deploying Michael Keane as an auxiliary front man in his pre-match press conference for Leicester City’s visit. The Blues boss admitted: “It’s not the first thought in my mind... but I might need it.”

In truth, things haven’t become that desperate just yet, but given that Dominic Calvert-Lewin has now joined Armando Broja on the treatment table, Moyes’ men are perhaps just one more setback away from crisis stations. For the time being Beto is seemingly the only viable alternative to spearhead the attack after the hamstring injury suffered by Everton’s number nine so he comes into the side.

Given that Orel Mangala has seemingly played his last match in a royal blue jersey, James Garner, who, like Beto, had earlier been introduced in the 1-0 win at Brighton & Hove Albion before the Belgium international went off and forced his side to finish the contest with 10 men, is the natural choice to fill the void in the engine room.

My team (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O’Brien, Mykolenko, Tarkowski, Branthwaite; Gueye, Garner; Lindstrom, Doucoure, Ndiaye; Beto.

Joe Thomas

A winning streak and an injury crisis makes selecting an Everton team relatively straightforward right now. Hopefully that changes over the coming days as the Blues seek reinforcements but, for now, David Moyes has to prepare his first team post-Brighton injuries without any additions.

It will be no surprise that I would have started both Orel Mangala and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Mangala has been steady in the middle since he arrived and formed a nice partnership with Idrissa Gueye in the middle, helping to strengthen the core after a tough start to the campaign. Dealing with his loss is tough but at least James Garner returned to action last week. I think it is really early to put so much pressure on him after his back injury, and his health has to come first given the sparsity of options available. I would protect him against Leicester City and move Abdoulaye Doucoure back, bringing Jack Harrison back into the starting lineup. This is far from perfect but there are few options available. I would then place Harrison on the left, hoping return to the position he did so well in at Leeds United would help him rediscover his confidence. It would also allow me to move Iliman Ndiaye into a central attacking role. I think Everton can get at Leicester and I would like Ndiaye to play behind Beto, the only option to replace Calvert-Lewin. Aside from that, the side remains the same after two impressive wins.

Pickford, Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, O’Brien; Harrison, Doucoure, Gueye, Lindstrom; Ndiaye; Beto

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